1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a resealable closure device for a container, and more particularly to a recloseable device for aluminum beverage cans having a pop top apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Beverage containers commonly are opened using anti-litter tabs known as pop tops. The general feature of a conventional pop top may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,866 which issued to George Mandel on Aug. 7, 1984 for a "Contamination Protection Member For Opening and Resealing Device". An upward or lifting force is applied to a pop top and it shears away a substantial portion of the container lid or top from the container so as to create an aperture or opening for the egress of liquid from the container. A section of the pop top does not shear such that the pop top remains attached to the container even though it is pressed down into the interior thereof. This prevents the litter and pollution which would otherwise occur such as with prior art pull tabs which were discarded once they were removed from the top of the containers.
The pop top cannot normally be used to reseal the container although a few resealing concepts have been proposed in the prior art. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,797 which issued Nov. 11, 1980 to Nelson J. Waterbury for a "Recloseable Container". In this patent, a container having an articulated closure for an opening in the lid in which one end of the closure is mounted on the lid adjacent the inner end of the opening and a closure element is hinged to the mounted end and overlays the opening to seal the contents. A lift element is integrally formed on the closure element opposite the mounted end to lift the closure element pivotly relative to the mounted end to provide access to the opening for the discharge of the contents of the container. This invention requires a totally different type of pop top wherein the sealing portion is picked up out of the can interior rather than pushed down into the can.
As recognized by those skilled in the art, an unsealed or unsealable container must be emptied and discarded because dissolved gases within the beverage escape and the beverage is said to "go flat". U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,906 issued on Mar. 6, 1944 to Rolf Florczyk for a "Container Having Resealable Opening Means". This patent teaches, in a sheet metal or plastic container for storing beverages and the like, a plug member located against the opening region provided in the container's end wall for defining a score line. The plug member has a closing peripheral edge which has the same geometry as the peripheral edge of the opening resulting after the score line is ruptured by external pressure applied to the plug member towards the interior of the container. The plug member, after the opening region has been ruptured, is slidably displaced from the opening to expose the later. That opening can be tightly closed again by the plug member being inserted by its peripheral edge into the opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,914 issued on Apr. 27, 1906 to Kuno J. Vogt for a "Re-sealable Container Lid". This patent teaches a reuseable container lid for utilization, for example, carbonated beverage containers having a metallic lid or pouring aperture therein and having a removeable seal within the aperture which is constructed of displaceable material such as rubber or plastic. The seal includes a base pad with a raised portion at one end forming a sealing pad and a pull tab extension on the sealing pad. The base pad is dimension for fitting beneath the aperture in the lid and covering the aperture with the sealing pad dimension for extending into and sealing the aperture. The pull tab extension extends the top of the sealing pad for opening and re-sealing operations. Again, the tab apparatus requires a totally different configuration and it cannot be used with the conventional tab apparatus commercial in use today.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,265 issued on July 5, 1966 to E. P. Stuart for a "Reseal For Tab Opening Cans". In the patent to Stuart, the invention provides a reseal which will remain in place at the portion thereof which seals the inner end of the channel or the rivet aperture at the inner end of the channel, but it has a snap fit into the channel and pour aperture at the outer end of the channel. Again, a completely different type of pull tab is required.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,471 issued on Apr. 11, 1978 to Howard A. Frank for a "Re-sealable Frangable Top for Containers". The patent shows a frangible top can which has a top containing a laminated two-layer insert which comprises an upper plate containing a scored area and a lower plate having an opening. A depression, formed in the upper plate, fits snugly into the opening which is formed in the lower plate. Thus, the depression may act as a stopper for the opening when the can is resealed. This also requires a totally different abstructure from that conventionally used today.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,938 issued to Michael Debenham et al on May 19, 1981 for a "Resealable Pressure Release Closure". This patent shows a pressure-releasing closure or tab which has a connection to the can end which is substantially at the same level as the adjacent portion of the closure by the provision of an area immediately behind the connection which is downwardly depressed so as to be coplanar with the tab. Again the pressure release closure of the present invention is totally different and cannot be used in combination with the popular pop tops in commercial use today.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,911 issued on Apr. 27, 1976 to John S. Bozek et al for a "Non-Detachable and Recloseable Easy Opening Container Closure Structure". This patent shows an easy-opening closure for a container in which the end panel is formed with a pre-cut opening. A plastic tab having a closure portion is pivotally secured to the panel for turning between a position over-lying said opening to seal the same and a position away from the opening. The tab includes a finger grip portion encompassing the closure portion. Again, this patent cannot be used with the pull tab structure in commercial use today.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,791 issued on Aug. 5, 1980 to Wilfred R. Brochman for an "Easy Open Closure System". This patent teaches an improved, easy-open closure system which comprises an interior sheet material and an exterior flexible film. The exterior flexible film is essentially free of adhesive and is secured to the inner interior sheet of material in the area of the opening by means of an adhesive layer on the interior sheet of material. Again, the tab structure is totally foreign to that in common use today and cannot be used in combination therewith.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,891 issued on June 27, 1967 to G. F. Smyth for a "Can End With Inseparable Tear Strip". This patent teaches an early version of the anti-litter pull tab concept of the prior art but does not provide any type of resealing means.
The prior art, in general, does show various types of systems for resealing the cans after they have been initially opened. All of these systems suffer from one or more problems as evidenced by the fact that none of these systems have gained any commercial acceptance today, whatsoever. Rather, the basic pulltop mechanism in use today has gained a universal acceptance over all of these systems and no resealing means is used. None of the prior art reseling systems can be used in conjunction therewith.
The present invention solves substantially all of these problems while avoiding their shortcomings and provides a recloseable device for aluminum pop top cans wherein the device can be used, with little modification in combination with the conventional pop top can apparatus in commercial use today.